Time for those New Year's Resolutions!

Oh, how I hate New Year's Resolutions. I found out years ago that, at least for me, they're completely pointless. Because I never follow through with them!

No, I have to sort of start on a project and just let it snowball--Kind of like my decision to join a gym so I'd have a place to go each day turned into my becoming a Fitness Junkie!

Now, don't get me wrong. I think Resolutions are okay for some people. Just not me. So, if I might offer a piece of advice for you Resolutioners out there who have vowed to lose weight in 2009, here it is. If you want to achieve permanent weight loss (the best kind, in my opinion!), make VERY SMALL changes!

If you normally drink four Cokes a day, cut it down to only one. Or resolve to drink water instead.

If you normally hit the drive-thru at Whataburger twice a week, try to cut it down to twice a month.

If you really do need to get more active, buy a pedometer and vow to walk 5000 steps every single day. (It's not as hard as you think.) Then later increase that number to 7000, 9000, 10,000.

No need to jump off the deep end and join a gym and make tons of promises to yourself. Baby steps, my friends, baby steps.

Update on the Cardio Challenge

Okay, so the bad news is, I got beat in the Cardio Challenge--By one of my very best friends AND by a little muscle girl 10 years my junior. (At least she's a really sweet muscle girl, and I enjoy working out with her.) Ah, well, such is life.

Good news, though! My husband WON the Cardio Challenge, and I took his prize away from him! Yay, me! So now I get my choice of either a free massage or a free training session. How sick is it that I'm choosing the training session???

Now, on to the next Cardio Challenge, which starts in another week or so.

Cardio Challenge - Oooooh, it's gonna be a challenge!

Greg did his initial cardio challenge last night, and he beat me! Yeah. By A LOT.

His time is 6:31--The best of anyone in the contest so far!

So, while I'm really proud of him, I'm still going to try to beat him.

He's goin' dowwwwwnnnnnn.

(And if he wins, you know I'm going to take his prize away from him anyway.)

Cardio Challenge - Day 1

I did my initial cardio challenge run-through this morning. My time was 8:39.

Wow. So I need to set a goal for what I want my end time to be. I wonder what a realistic end time would be...I'm at a loss.

The times for everyone in the contest will be posted by the end of the week, so I'll be able to see where I stack up as compared to my competition.

SO, let the training begin!

Fit Friday Report

I did it. I signed up for Circuit Cardio Challenge at my gym. If I win, I get my choice of a free one hour massage or a personal training session. (And the sick thing is, I'm going to choose the personal training session if I win.)

Anyway, here's how it works. I have to have the fastest time in my age group performing these five circuit cardio activities, in any order I choose.

• Farmer's Walk carrying 35 lb. plate weights in each hand. Description: You grab two plate weights totaling 70 lbs. and carry them 3 laps around the gym.
• Sled Push with 125 lbs. on the sled. Description: At our gym, we have this sled-type thing--Kind of like a cart with no wheels. So I have to put 125 lbs on that thing and push it forward about 25 yards and then backpedal with it to the beginning--Four times.
• EFX Trainer/Eliptical Machine - 500 strides
• Plyometric squats on the BOSU (half ball thing) - 20 times
• Clean and press - 25 reps with 35 lbs. Description: This is what you see people do at weightlifting competitions where the pick the barbell up off the floor and pull it to the chest; Then lift over the head, back to the chest, back to the floor.

So, how's THAT for Fit Friday? I'm going to do my initial run at it next week. Then I'll train for it until December 15 when I do the final run (and get to see how much I've improved!) and see how I rank.

Ohhhh, this is going to be FUN!

ATTN: Fit Friday Mommies

A post just for you...

Although Fit Friday has already begun, I want to encourage you to do something that I so wish I would've done from the onset of my crusade for fitness.

Find yourself a trusted friend. A trusted husband. An older offspring. Have said friend/husband/offspring break out the old tape measure and measure around your waist (right around the top of that pelvic bone), around your upper arms, and around your thighs.

If person is any kind of friend at all, they'll not tell you what these numbers are, but will write them down for you and put them in a safe place until a later date.

A later date when you'll get them out and compare them to your NEW AND IMPROVED measurements!

You see, the scale can be quite cruel to you when you're working out, lifting weights, doing cardio, and going to every yoga class you can find within a 50 mile radius. Because the scale won't tell the tale. You could be building muscle and losing fat, and that scale can't tell the difference!

So, don't go by the scale. In fact, truth be told, I don't even own one.

Happy measuring!

Cardio--Is It Really What You Need to Reach Your Fitness Goals?

Simple Question for you. Which of these two pictures better represents your fitness goals? Look carefully, now! Which body do you wish you could model yours after?

Most of us have established that we want to look better and feel better and be HEALTHIER! And most of us think that the best way to do that is through cardio, cardio, and MORE cardio. Because that's what's been drilled into your head for years. Decades, even.

For years, my dad has told me that he can always tell when a particular friend of his cranks up his running routine because he starts looking sick! I always noted that that was true, but I never could figure out why in the world a seemingly healthy activity like running would always tend to make a person look like they were about to keel over dead.

Now, I know.

Those marathon-running people (and I'm so not one of "those" people) cannot possibly eat enough carbs to keep their bodies from eating away at muscle. They are over-trained cardiovascularly and severely under-trained strength-wise. And because of their rigorous cardio training, there's no way they can eat enough carbs to keep up.

The other picture is not a body builder, but rather a fitness competitor. (Please note that my research indicates that you can have certain parts of your own body look exactly like certain parts of her body--For about $5,000. But, that's another post.)

The fitness competitor does some cardio, I'm quite sure. But her focus is more on weight training.

You sold, yet? A picture says a thousand words, they say!

Next post: Let's get started on some weight training. It's not just for boys!